Deborah Maddux Introduces Herself as Chair of the CLA Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee

The following is Deborah Maddux’s Message from the Chair published in the January edition of the California Labor & Employment Law Review

Happy New Year to my Labor & Employment Law Section colleagues!

In the fall Chair’s message, I set aside the tradition of introducing myself as incoming Chair and promised to do so in a later edition when world and national events had calmed down. We still have challenges ahead, but I suspect many of you share my feelings of renewed hope as we move into 2021; thanks to the efforts of the scientific community, it appears we will soon have vaccines available that will start to turn the tide of the pandemic. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly how long that will take, and my tenure as Chair is only one year. So, with the notion that introducing oneself is usually best accomplished at the start of a relationship rather than towards the end, I will go ahead and take this opportunity to tell you a little about my journey as an attorney, and why my focus as the (fairly) new Section Chair will be on collegiality, mentorship, and diversity.

I was one of those odd characters who loved law school. It was an amazing gift to be able to study law at UC Davis’ King Hall, where the faculty and my fellow students helped foster a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. As fellow scholars of the law, we left copies of our notes when a classmate had to miss class, we shared course outlines, and we supported each other in innumerable other ways. I made lifelong friends from King Hall who I continue to keep in touch with, both professionally and personally. These early lessons in the value of collegiality made us better students, and ultimately more effective as lawyers.

I was reminded of the value of collegiality recently when I was chatting with Mary-Beth Moylan, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at McGeorge School of Law. Years ago, Mary-Beth and I litigated against each other in a federal lawsuit brought against a statewide initiative. In this capacity, we took depositions all across California. We often found ourselves on the same flights to and from a particular deposition or meeting location, including waiting time at various airports, where we developed a friendship and mutual trust and respect for each other. Eventually, we argued against each other at trial. In our recent conversation, Mary-Beth told me she uses our case when teaching a litigation course at McGeorge to emphasize that you can be a prepared, effective, and even strident advocate for your clients, while still treating opposing counsel with dignity and respect. Indeed, those respectful relationships can ultimately serve the best interest of your clients.

This same spirit of collegiality is one of the things which drew me to the Labor & Employment Section Executive Committee.

Take a look at our roster, and the diverse (and impressive) backgrounds of our Leadership, Members and Advisors. We are able to work together from plaintiff, defense, and neutral perspectives to provide quality programming that enhances the labor and employment practice throughout the State.

Like attending law school, I have also always loved practicing law. After graduating from law school in 1993, I started my practice with a Sacramento-based litigation firm, now Boutin Jones. I went on to serve as a Staff Attorney to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). In this role, I litigated a statewide initiative in federal court, argued in front of the California Court of Appeal, and briefed a case pending in the California Supreme Court, among other fascinating projects. I then became Associate Campus Counsel at the University of California, Davis. Given the breadth and complexity of the campus, I handled myriad interesting legal issues, and became particularly focused on employment law issues. These experiences were where I learned the value of mentorship, thanks in large part to the three Steves: Steve Boutin at Boutin Jones, Steve Churchwell at the FPPC, and Steve Drown at UC Davis. All three believed in me, challenged me, supported me, taught me, and were fun, decent, and kind.

I caught a line in a song while driving recently which reminded, “When you get where you are going, don’t forget, turn back around and help the next one in line.” Thanks to the three Steves—and so many others—I have benefitted from great mentorship throughout my legal career. I try at every opportunity to support newer attorneys. The L&E Executive Committee also values mentorship. The Committee is working on strengthening the Section’s mentorship program. Anyone who is interested in learning how to become involved as a mentor, please reach out to us by email at laborlaw@ calawyers.org. Janine Braxton is the California Young Lawyers Association representative on the Executive Committee, and we will be working with her throughout the year to ensure we are finding opportunities to welcome and mentor attorneys who are new to employment law.

Back to my journey—while at UC Davis, I discovered another passion in the law—the world of workplace investigations. Twenty years ago, the investigations practice was in its infancy. State laws were beginning to require investigations into sexual harassment claims, followed by similar requirements for discrimination or retaliation claims. These requirements were making their way into human resources policies and practices. Seeing the need in the market, as well as the benefits to employers and employees of a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation, I left UC Davis fifteen years ago to start my own solo investigations firm. In 2011, I joined Sue Ann Van Dermyden and we formed Van Dermyden Maddux Law Corporation. We started with just the two of us and a paralegal. A decade later, we have a team of nearly 30, with offices in Sacramento, San Rafael, Las Vegas, and soon in San Diego. Feel free to catch me at our next in-person conference (who knows, maybe toward the end of 2021), and I would be happy talk your ear off about all-things investigation. But one thing the investigation practice has underscored for me is the value of diversity in the workplace, and the importance of laws meant to ensure that the workplace is free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The Executive Committee is committed to creating programs which support equality and fairness in our profession, such as the scholarships managed by our Diversity Committee, and our quality educational programs.

Lots of good work to be done. Until next time . . .

Reprinted with permission of the California Lawyers Association and the California Labor & Employment Law Review.